In a Flash
by gmstone1998
Summary: A spin off of the popular Mystery Dungeon games, this story tells the rise of the most famous exploration team, Team Flash.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is yet another story that I made up a long time ago as a kind of 'bedtime story' for my little sister, this time in the world of Pokémon and a parody of the Mystery Dungeon games. I included all of my favorite Pokémon from that time, giving each a unique personality. It was fun thinking up different scenarios for this little team of Pokémon misfits to do, and letting my sister decide on what happened next.**

**I recently began thinking about this story again, and I felt that I should do it some justice and write it down properly. It has been an interesting experience, revisiting my childhood obsession and unleashing my inner Pokemon nerd, and I hope you get as much enjoyment out of it as I did writing it. I now present to you: "In a Flash"!**

**Ch. 1**

In the land of Equinox, there are many myths and legends. Stories passed by word of human mouth tell of mighty Pokemon trainers and their powerful companions. In the humble lives of wild Pokemon, they have stories of their own, telling of great explorers and adventurers that had gone before them. But none were as mighty and victorious as Team Flash. With the help of eyewitness accounts, testimonies, and a Meowth translator, I have managed to compile the story of their rise to fame in this short novel. We will begin our tale with how their team came about, starting with a young Treecko named Scout.

Scout came into the world in the usual way, in an egg. He was an agile and quick Pokémon, and at first glance, seemed like a normal Treecko. But his personality told a different story; he was soft spoken, docile, and scared of his own shadow, unlike most of his species (see footnote below). This was a great disadvantage for him, as Treecko are usually loners. If it wasn't for a Tailow named Peppy, he might not have survived his first few years alone in the wild.

Peppy came about around the time Scout did. She had just left the nest to be on her own, when her eyes spied a helpless, baby Treecko hiding in the bushes. Feeling sympathy for him, she took in the poor creature and raised him. Not as a son, seeing as how they were about the same age, but as brother and sister. She watched over Scout and made sure he didn't get himself into scrapes with local brutes, as the forest they lived in had a reputation for being rough. As Scout grew up, he had outgrown his childish look, but his gentle nature still stayed.

Scout wandered the forest floor of the woods he had lived his entire life, wondering what the future had in store for him. He was well aware that he was a coward, and not very strong either, but he had an inner desire to explore and go on adventures. But neither Peppy nor him knew how to fight, so he never brought it up. Ironically, Peppy felt the same way. With a sigh, he continued walking. Little did he know, was that he was trespassing on a certain Ekans's territory, who wasn't very fond of intruders.

Scout jumped at the sound of the Ekans's threatening hiss. The snake emerged slowly, glaring like an awakened Snorlax. Peppy swooped down to his side at the sound of trouble, ready to defend him, but not sure how.

"Sorry to bother you, but he was just passing through." Peppy nudged him forward. "We'll just be going now." Ekans slid in front of them, blocking their way with a sly smile.

"What'sssss the hurry? I've been bored lately, and could ussse a little fun." The snake raced forward, whipping them with his tail. Peppy, enraged, flapped her wings repeatedly, not doing much. Scout whimpered and retreated, only to be cut off by Ekans. He attempted a lunge at him, only to be held back once again by Peppy. Annoyed, Ekans slashed at her, knocking her out.

_Peppy!_ Scout backed up, finding himself cornered against a tree. He yelped as he was suddenly put into Ekans's bind, struggling for air. _Somebody! Anybody! Help!_ As his vision started to fade, he saw a flash of blue and felt the snake's grip disappear. Scout fell to the ground gasping, and turned to see what had saved him.

A Riolu was kicking and punching at the snake, laughing as Ekans fled into the shrubs. The Riolu turned and went back to Scout, helping him up. "Are you alright?" Scout looked up and saw the female Riolu's round eyes and felt a strange sense of calm.

"Y-y-yes...thank you..." He managed to stutter.

"What about your friend over here? She put up quite a fight." She walked over to Peppy and nudged her.

"...Ooooo...Waa? Ah!" Peppy jerked awake and flew back.

"Woah woah woah! Don't worry, I won't hurt you!" The Riolu soothed, smiling. "I didn't mean to crash your party; I just happened to overhear your fight and thought you could use some help. My name's Aurora. Yours?" The two introduced themselves, not sure what to think of this newcomer. She was strong and tough, unlike most Pokemon in this region (probably explaining why rogues gathered there to have easy pickings). Yet at the same time, she had an aura of kindness about her. Aurora quickly gained their trust and became friends with the two.

Later that night, the three were resting in the branches of a tree, looking up at the stars. "You know, I've always had this dream to travel." Peppy sighed.

"Me too! And go on adventures!" Aurora added, her eyes sparkling.

"The problem is," Peppy frowned, "I'm not skilled or strong enough to do that yet."

"All it takes is some training." Aurora shot up. She had an idea. "I could help you guys train if you want!"

"Really? That'd be awesome! Let's start tomorrow!" Peppy cheered.

Scout smiled. _I've never seen Peppy so excited. I don't know much about fighting or training, but maybe this will be good for me. If this is what it takes to be an explorer, I'm definitely in!_ As he drifted off to sleep, he thought about the hard work ahead of him, but also of journeying to far-off lands and adventuring new places. Soon, his dream would come true.

1. Treecko Pokedex entry: It is a calm and cool creature that is not easily upset. It is also bold enough to stare down Pokémon larger than itself. It makes its home in large trees in forests, and its habit of fiercely defending its territory has some people calling it the "protector of the forest." Quite a contrast from Scout, isn't it?


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Man, the feels in this chapter...**

**Ch. 2**

"UP AND AT 'EM!" Aurora hollered.

Scout rolled over, blinking. _Ugh...Not now…it's too early..._

"Come on guys, we're burning daylight!" She insisted cheerfully.

"_What_ daylight?" Peppy groaned, stretching. The sun was barely starting to rise as Aurora led them out of the forest and into the grassland plains.

Scout felt very out of place in this new area. He was used to there being trees around him, a quick escape route from enemies. Here, he was completely exposed on all sides. Not to mention the tall savannah grass that was above his head in height.

"This is a great place to work on close-combat moves. Nice and open." Aurora stated, stopping. "Let's start with you, Scout."

Scout's eyes widened. _Huh? Me?_

Aurora laughed. "Go on. Show me what you know already." Scout looked at his hands, not sure what to do. "Okay, let me show you a basic move. Position your body like this, and spin with your tail out." She explained, demonstrating a tail whip. Scout copied her, smiling as he felt his strength go to his tail and hit the air in front of him. _That's so cool!_

After teaching him some other basic moves, Aurora was satisfied, but felt the need to go even farther. "Do you know what aura is?" Scout shook his head.

"Really? Well, aura is the essence of life in every creature. It moves through us and gives us the strength to live. Pokemon that recognizes its existence can use aura to its full potential in battle. I'm not very good at it yet." She then summoned a small, blue ball of energy that hovered above her paw. "This is aura. It is different for everyone who uses it. You can use aura too." He looked at her questioningly. _I can?_

"Here, hold out your hand." Aurora stood beside him. "Feel aura's power deep inside you, and tell it to come out." Scout stared at his hand, concentrating hard. A green sphere of energy appeared, and he jumped back in surprise. _Whoa, I didn't know I could do that!_

"Great! That's what you call an energy ball. Now, pull your arm back, use your other hand to support the ball, then shoot it forward where you want it to go." Scout did as she said, and the energy ball flew forward and hit the ground, exploding in a small blast. _Holy milktank..._ He stared in disbelief at the burn mark on the ground.

"Nice job! You're a natural!" Aurora cheered. She then turned to Peppy, showing her how to properly flap her wings and use her beak to attack. Soon, the three were doing practice battles with each other. Aurora was very pleased with their progress.

The sound of their training had disturbed a pack of rattata, who quietly watched in the shadows. Scout and Peppy didn't see or hear them, but when Aurora closed her eyes, her aura showed their many forms around them.

"Don't move. Don't make a sound." She shushed urgently.

"What? Why?" Peppy whispered.

"When I tell you, I want you two to get out of here as fast as you can."

"But-"

"NOW!" Aurora shoved them forward, just as the rattata emerged and attacked.

Scout sprinted in one direction and didn't stop until he was clear out of the savannah. Panting, he looked back to see Peppy close behind him. _Where's Aurora?_

"Is she not coming?" Peppy wondered aloud.

_Uh-oh._ Scout ran back into the grass, leaving Peppy there, confused.

He raced back to the clearing, finding that the rattata had her surrounded. She was holding her ground well, attacking any that came near, but she was quickly becoming overwhelmed. Scout jumped into the circle.

"Scout, I told you to run!" She scolded.

"I couldn't leave you alone." Scout replied, going back-to-back with her. Using the moves that she had taught him, Scout was able to fight back for the first time ever. But as they continued to fight, they were starting to get tired, and the rattata still persisted.

"Hey Scout, I think we'll have to make a run for it." Aurora whispered to him. Scout nodded, but was unsure how they would get away in their current position. She formed her aura sphere. "When I say go, shoot down your energy ball, and we'll jump out. Ready...set...go!" The two slammed down their spheres, causing a flash and a great deal of dust. In the confusion, Aurora grabbed Scout and the two sprinted off. The rattata quickly regained their senses and chased after them.

He glanced back to see if the rattata were following, and sure enough, they were in hot pursuit. One rat in particular ran ahead of the group. It leapt forward, poison fang ready in its jaws. Before Scout could even think, he found himself jumping in front of her.

Aurora turned when he heard Scout yelp in pain. The pack, seizing the chance, charged. A loud chirp then caught their attention. Peppy swooped in, pecking and flapping her wings in a frenzy. The rattata, frightened by the sudden gust of wind, fled.

"Scout!" Aurora yelped, running to his side. The bite from the attack had poisoned him badly. With each breath, he could feel his energy draining.

Scout gritted his teeth, clutching his bitten arm. "I think I'll be fine. I'll just walk it off, haha..ha..." His strength gave out, and he fell over, knocked out.

"No!" Peppy exclaimed, shaking him. "Wake up! Please wake up!"

"Alright, calm down. We still have time." Aurora tried to think. She knew berries would be no use at this point. She needed human help. "There's a town nearby. I think they have a hospital."

"Wait, are you saying that we should go to the _humans_?" Ever since a trainer had tried to capture Scout and her in the past, she had never trusted humans.

"They are his only chance now. Stay here; I'll be back." With that, Aurora raced away.

A short time later, she was on the outskirts of a small town in a valley. Trainers commonly used it as a rest stop, healing their Pokemon before the long trek through the surrounding mountains. Aurora glanced around, finding a building with a red roof that trainers frequently were going into with injured Pokemon. _That must be the hospital._

Cautiously, she went through the sliding doors. There was a round counter in the center of the room, and Aurora approached it. A woman with pink hair greeted her. Her name tag said 'Nurse Joy', but of course, Pokemon can't read.

"Well hello little one! What can I do for you?" Aurora pointed to the door urgently. "What is it? You want me to come with you?"

She nodded quickly. _That wasn't too hard._

A short time later, Aurora burst through the bushes to the clearing where Peppy was waiting, the woman in pink trailing behind. Peppy immediately became defensive, growling.

"No, wait! She's here to help." Aurora steadied her while Nurse Joy picked up Scout and examined him. She waved for them to come, and they hurried back to the PokeCenter.

Moments later, Scout was rushed to the emergency room, and she (along with multiple Chansey) began injecting various potions and medicines into him. Aurora and Peppy watched from a window in the hallway, feeling very helpless.

Later, as the room emptied, Nurse Joy let them come in. "We've done everything we can do, but we won't know if he'll survive the poison until morning. It would be best to let him sleep." Nurse Joy left the room, turning the light off behind her.

In the light of the moon coming from the window, the two hopped onto Scout's bed. _Please, Scout..._ Aurora thought. _You've got to live. You saved me. You can't die now._ She laid her head on Scout's chest, and let his slow, quiet heartbeat lull her to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3**

Scout blinked awake. _Where am I?_ He was on a soft white hospital bed with pillows and blankets, none of which he knew the names of. Aurora was next to him, with Peppy perched on one of the bedposts. Both were asleep. He looked down at Aurora, and could practically feel the despair that radiated off of her (2). _Why is she so sad?_ Memories of the day before came flooding back. Training, running from the pack of rattata, shielding Aurora from an attack, and blacking out. _That's right...they must think I'm dead._

He nudged Aurora, half-tempted to start yelling like she had yesterday.. "...hey. Time to wake up."

Aurora and Peppy jolted awake, looking up at him. They were too choked up to speak; words could not express how happy they were. After lots of tearful hugs and thanking Nurse Joy a thousand times over, they left the Poke Center in high spirits, racing through the town and into the forest.

"Now that you're better, what should we do?" Peppy asked.

"I don't know! I have so much energy! I feel like I could climb that mountain!" Scout pointed to the highest peak in the mountain range that surrounded the valley, called Mt. Chime.

"What, that little hill? Child's play." Aurora laughed. "I've crossed mountains like that all the time (3). But it's much more fun if you explore it from the inside out."

"Well I don't do enclosed spaces, especially caves." Peppy shook her head. "Can I fly to the top and meet you guys there?"

"Sure! And go make some bird friends while you're up there!" Aurora waved, watching Peppy fly off towards the mountain peak. "Well Scout, it's time to start exploring!"

They found a small opening in the base of the mountain, and by the looks of it, led into a cave. Scout was hesitant, not liking unfamiliar places.

"C'mon Scout, don't be afraid." Aurora encouraged. "To be a true explorer, you must be fearless in the face of every obstacle. Besides, there's nothing we can't handle if we're together, right?"Scout nodded, following her through the hole cautiously. In the pitch darkness, Scout struggled to see. He could hear the shuffling and squeaks of Pokemon around them, and he shrank towards Aurora in fear.

"Watch your feet. Don't trip on that rock." Aurora warned.

"How can you see?" Scout asked.

"Like I said, I can slightly control aura. If I close my eyes, I can sort of recognize the shapes of objects. Other people's auras I can see clearly. For example, your aura is a light shade of blue."

He was thoroughly fascinated by this, and was about to ask another question, but then noticed a light in the distance. "Hey, is that the exit?" Scout pointed.

"Let's go check it out." They hurried down the passage, sliding to a halt as they found a chamber filled with lava. Scout stumbled back with a yelp, terrified. He had only heard about the molten rock in stories, and that alone was more than enough to give him nightmares.

"It's alright Scout. It's just a little lava."

"A _little_? I'm from a forest. Fire and grass don't mix!"

"It will be fine. We'll get through this together." Aurora took him by the hand and brought him to the opening. "Okay, there are a couple flat rocks sticking out that we can land on. Just like stepping stones in a river. Do you trust me?"

Scout gulped. "Yes." _I just don't think I can trust myself._

"I'll go first." She jumped, smoothly landing on the first rock and motioning for him to follow.

He backed up, and taking a deep breath, ran forward and jumped, just barely reaching the rock.

"Good, that was great! It will be easier now. We'll go to that rock there, then that one." She traced the path with her hand. Scout understood, but was more concerned with the fact that he was surrounded by lava. Following Aurora's lead, he stuck close to her and shivered as they got farther away from the safety of the ledges.

"You're doing great Scout; we're almost there. Just that last rock, and we're out of here." That sounded better than being around this lava, and Scout, in his eagerness to get out of there, made the first move and jumped to the closest rock. Aurora realized too late that he had made a mistake.

"Scout, jump!" Beneath his feet, the rock began to move. Like being thrown from a horse, he was jerked off, and would've landed head-first into lava if Aurora had not caught him. The rock rose out of the magma, revealing it to be a Torkoal.

Scout's eyes went wide. _A fire type!_ Aurora stood in front of him. "Let us pass! We never did anything to you!"

The lava turtle ignored her plea and roared, sending flames in their direction. Aurora shoved Scout to another rock and ducked to avoid the attack. _Aw man, she's right in the line of fire. Literally._ Scout thought desperately. _Come on coward, you've been training for this._

Scout turned to Aurora and gave her a look. She nodded and readied an aura sphere. Likewise, Scout made an energy ball, and the two fired them at the same time. The hit was direct, but that didn't stop the turtle. He sneered and jumped, sending lava in their direction. It was unavoidable, and the two were hit with a wave of lava.

Scout fell over in pain, not able to move. He could feel the heat burning him intensely all over his body. _I need...to get up...Aurora..._ He tried to open his eyes, and could just make out Aurora across from him, struggling to stand.

A howl caught his attention. On the cliff above them, there stood a small Vulpix, eyes practically glowing with fire. She jumped down in front of them, growling at the Torkoal.

"What are you doing Butch? Is this what you've come to? Picking on Pokemon smaller than you?" She stepped forward. "Back off, and this won't get ugly." The turtle growled back, but sank into the lava in irritation. Satisfied, the Vulpix turned to face them. "You two okay?"

"Yeah..." Aurora said, blinking in thanks.

Scout tried to stand, but lost his balance. Vulpix caught and steadied him. "Here, come with me. You'll need to rest up after all that." She led them out of the chamber and into a tunnel. "It's right here." She shoved over a boulder to reveal a small burrow. Going inside, they found a room filled with papers and supplies.

"Okay, here, green fella." She handed Scout some leaves. "Rub 'em on those burns. It'll help." Turning to Aurora, she nodded. "You didn't get hit as much, did you? You've got some good reflexes."

"Who...who are you?" Aurora asked.

"Me? My name is Susan. Who are you then, and what brings you here in the depths of Mt. Chime?"

"My name's Aurora, and this is Scout. We're explorers."

"Explorers?" Susan exclaimed. "Me too!" She went over and took a paper off a wall. "I've been spelunking all over this area. There isn't much, which is why I've been preparing to go explore elsewhere." She pointed to a certain place on the map. "Right there in the canyon, there have been rumors of a buried treasure of incredible value. No one has ever found its exact location, and I want to be the first to find it." When she said this, she sighed. "The problem is, I don't have anyone to go with. It's never safe to explore alone, and who ever heard of a one-Pokemon exploration team?"

The two exchanged looks, and Aurora spoke up. "You know, we could use a new member for our team. Would you like to join us?"

At this, Susan's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Really? Oh, I won't let you down, I promise!"

After they had rested and recovered, they headed out to reach the summit with Susan as their guide. The tunnel eventually led out of the cave, and directly out to the snowy slopes. It was quiet and serene, and the trudged on with some difficulty. As they got higher and higher, the air became more thin, and they had to work harder to keep moving.

"Hey!" A voice called from above. Peppy came soaring over, letting the winds carry her. "The winds are so strong! You can fly really fast here!" Susan gave them a questioning glance.

"This is Peppy." Aurora explained. "She's Scout's sister."

They continued on, and when they stopped for a break on a ledge, they were awestruck by what they saw in the distance. They could see the town and the valley that surrounded it, and the forests that stretched on for miles.

"It's brilliant, right?" Peppy said with a sigh.

Scout nodded. The view alone was worth their long trek. _If this is what exploring is like, this could be fun!_

The snow above them shifted and started to slide. A triggered avalanche could easily sweep them away.

"An avalanche!" Susan exclaimed. "We need to get out of here!"

Sure enough, snow began to break away and slide down the cliffs, engulfing everything in its path. Not even Aurora could run fast enough in the heavy snowdrifts. When it seemed like they would be overtaken, she closed her eyes and braced for impact. Nothing came. "Huh?" When she opened them again, she saw they were riding on a large blue/red bird. "P-peppy?" She gasped. "You evolved!"

"Oh, I guess I did. That was fast!" Peppy laughed. "I didn't really think. One minute I was following you guys, and next I was carrying you." Her wings and body had grown, and now had enough room to carry all three of them on her back comfortably. In celebration, they soared all around the mountains, flying at high speeds and doing cool flip tricks.

* * *

><p>2- Riolu Pokedex entry: The aura that emanates from its body intensifies to alert others if it is afraid or sad.<p>

3- (yet another) Riolu Pokedex entry: Its body is little yet powerful. It can crest three mountains and cross two canyons in one night.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: I tried to keep this as authentic as possible, so I included the original names to everything. Don't ask why I thought a mountain should be called Mt. Chime. I was a weird child. I believe I named the small town Cherry Town, but I didn't find that necessary to mention. Seriously though, what was I thinking?!<strong>


End file.
